Best Community or Public Engagement Initiative
Winner - Justice Journeys: Survivor Stories
Justice Journeys: Survivor Stories (JJSS) is a powerful online exhibition, launched in December 2020, featuring a collection of rape survivors’ stories about their ‘end-to-end’ journeys through the criminal justice process in Scotland.
The accounts come from research participants who took part in the project for the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, led by Professor Michele Burman, Dr Oona Brooks-Hay and Dr Lisa Bradley.
The survivor stories highlight the need for reform of the criminal justice system. They speak to issues including the need for independent legal representation, the removal of the legal requirement for corroboration, the challenges of court delays and child contact, and the necessity of enhanced support and communication throughout the process.
The project was co-produced with its participants using innovative arts-based practices. This enabled the creation of accessible short stories and creative visual representations of participants’ experiences, which have in turn facilitated broader public engagement with the research.
Participation in JJSS has been transformative for those involved, representing a form of justice following encounters with the criminal justice system where their voices were not heard.
The Justice Journeys team have been recognised for their innovative approach to giving a voice to survivors of sexual assault and highlighting the need for reform of the criminal justice system.
Justice Journeys: Survivor Stories
Dr Lisa Bradley from the School of Education talks about working with rape and sexual assault survivors to share their stories of seeking and making justice.